Angels don't Burn
by UnfortunatelyWriting
Summary: Clara Hale is seven when she unknowingly meets her mate for the first time. A quiet boy with curly hair and blue eyes. The Hale fire leaves Isaac reeling as his best friend and her family are assumed dead. Six years later, her older brother Derek offers him something incredible. Then the impossible happens: Clara and Cora survived the fire and have finally returned. Isaac x OC.
1. Meeting My Wolf

**2003**

The Hale twins were inseparable, everyone knew that. They were everything a first grader wanted to be: good at four square and top of their reading groups. The girls were nearly identical, and could usually only be told apart by their facial expressions, which were quite varied. Cora, the oldest, was feisty, full of sass, and hot tempered. While Clara was quiet, kind, and steady. They balanced each other, one keeping the other out of trouble, and the other making sure her sister was never overlooked.

Consequently, it was quite the shock when Clara wandered onto the playground alone one Monday morning. The full moon was that night, and, although they wouldn't gain the power to shift for several years still, Cora's temper had gotten away from her during addition tables earlier. Leaving Clara to face recess alone for the first time since they had come to school.

Gathering her courage, because that's what it took, Clara made her way to the pavement where the fading white-lined four square courts resided. As she waited in line for her turn in square four, the faint smell of blood reached her nose. Confused, Clara looked around for a fallen child. When finding none, she turned back to the game, watching as that strange spastic kid from a different class got out. It made her frown because it was very obvious they had purposefully targeted him. If Cora had been there, Clara would have said something, but as it was, she was too scared to say something now.

The next person entered the game, the boy that smelled like the medicine from that little white box. Once again, the three already in the game teamed up to get the kid out. "Aw, man," the boy said to his friend as they walked away. Clara couldn't help but listen in, the full moon making her senses stronger.

"We never get passed the first square, Scott. Let's just give it up already."

"No. I can get to square three, I know I can. We'll try again tomorrow."

Clara's attention was again drawn away by the smell of blood. Something that Clara had never felt before roared in her chest. It urged her to follow the scent, screaming that the smell of the blood was _wrong_ , and she needed to fix it. Nearly panicking, she once again wished Cora was here with her. Clara was about to go in and find her, in order for them to investigate the strange smell together, but the moment she took a step in the direction of the school, her heart let out a howl.

Realization washed over Clara. Was this her wolf?

Her mother had said she wouldn't start to feel her wolf until she was at least twelve, until she was ready to start shifting. She was too young to be shifting now! Clara had to go home, she had to find her mom, her alpha. Her mom would know what to do.

But instead of her wolf agreeing with that thought, a stronger impulse took over. She had to find the blood, or maybe the person that was bleeding. Clara had already searched with her eyes, there were no scraped knees or skinned elbows on the playground today. So who was bleeding?

She resolved to follow with her nose, but it didn't make much of a difference. The moment she decided to move, the wolf took over. Clara had always assumed her wolf would be like her older brother had described, as he had gone through his first shift this year. Derek had said his wolf was impulsive and aggressive, following its instincts quickly and effectively. But Clara's didn't feel like that.

Her wolf stalked what Clara had interpreted as its prey, by staying low and moving with small, calculated steps. Clara and her wolf crossed the grass together, and then moved onto the bark chips. The call to action was getting stronger the closer she got to the scent. She followed the wolf under the jungle gym and back towards a small figure under the slide. Upon seeing the shadow, her wolf immediately laid down inside of her, as if begging her to do the same in front of the small boy.

"Hello," Clara said carefully, looking for evidence of his fall.

The boy's head snapped up and Clara immediately froze. He had a mop of curly hair covering his eyes, but Clara could feel his piercing gaze. Clara couldn't smell the blood anymore, it was masked by the overwhelming stench of alcohol that clung to the boy. She couldn't understand it, she had seen him before, but he had never smelt like this. There was an acrylic scent about him, different than anything she had ever smelt before. Once again, Clara had a feeling it was something that wasn't supposed to happen yet. It smelled like chemosignals, which was impossible. She shouldn't be able to detect them, even on a full moon.

"My name's Clara. Who are you?"

The boy sniffled, like a had been crying, but then jutted his chin up defensively and said, "Isaac."

"Oh," Clara said. Her wolf seemed to like his name. "Why are you under the slide?"

"Because."

Clara nodded her head. "Me too."

Isaac looked up at her with confusion. Then she started to move and Isaac tensed, unaware of her intentions. The girl crawled over to his side and sat down next to him. Isaac shifted, moving only slightly as to not hurt his ribs again.

"Are you okay?" Clara asked.

Isaac didn't say anything, just picked up a piece of bark chip and split it with his finger nails.

Clara watched as the boy began tearing up the bark chips. She liked being near him.

"Can you be my friend?" Clara didn't have a lot of friends. She had a sister, and Cora had a lot of friends. She thought having a friend would be fun. Her wolf said that was a good idea.

"No," Isaac said, he wanted her to leave. He wanted everyone to leave him alone. The girl didn't say anything and he had a feeling he had hurt her feelings. Good, maybe then she'll leave.

A bark chip was suddenly thrust into his face. Isaac startled and then looked at the hand attached to the chip. The girl, Clara, was holding it out to him.

"Can I be your friend?"

Isaac didn't know what to say. He just took the bar chip and slowly nodded, watching as Clara's face lit up. Her smile made him want to smile back. He didn't, but he wanted to. That was the first time he had wanted to smile since his mother died.

Clara was ecstatic. She had made a friend, kind of. But he had said yes! Her wolf watched happily as he accepted her gift and promptly split it like all the others. Clara smiled again and handed Isaac another.

That afternoon, Talia knew something was different about her youngest the moment she walked through the door, but before she could approach her, Derek howled in the distance. Called off to help her newest beta, she pushed away the feeling, filing the information away.

A few hours later, at dinner Talia finally got to ask.

"Clara, did something happen at school today?"

"Cora got in trouble," Clara said over a mouthful of peas.

Talia's brows shot up. "Did she?"

Cora suddenly seemed very interested in her steak. "Snitch," she muttered under her breath.

"Cora," Talia warned.

Cora sighed before looking up at her mother with an innocent expression. "It wasn't my fault, Mom. I just got so frustrated, and, and-"

"Cora, I understand how the full moon can make you feel out of control, but you need to learn how to use your anchor."

"I don't have an anchor."

"You'll find one," Talia said, gentler this time. "You're still young. You have time to learn yours. But until then, there are other ways to regulate our heartbeat and keep us calm."

"I know, Mother," Cora conceded. "I'll try harder next time."

Talia nodded, happy with her daughter's concession.

Dinner continued on, slightly tense as everyone knew the reason Derek and Peter's seats were empty, everyone knew the reason Laura was gritting her teeth.

Suddenly, Clara looked up and said, "I met my wolf today."

"I'm sorry," Talia said, thinking she had heard her wrong.

"I met my wolf today," Clara repeated.

"Clara, I don't think you understand," her dad, Lance, started.

"No," Clara said. "She led me to my new friend."

"A new friend?" Talia and Lance shared a look. "Cora, did you meet Clara's new friend?"

Cora shook her head, looking back and forth between her parents, knowing there was something going on.

"His name is Isaac. And he's not very nice. And he seemed really sad. But I like him, and I think I want him to smile, and I like sitting by him. And my wolf likes him too."

"Your wolf likes him," Lance whispered under his breath. Another look passed between alpha and mate. Was this what they thought it was?

Talia cleared her throat. "I'm sure we'd love to meet him sometime."

"I don't know, he said he didn't want to be my friend," Clara said hesitantly, remembering what Isaac had said.

"If he doesn't want to be your friend, then you're not his friend, Clara. He obviously doesn't like you," Cora said, still sullen that her sister ratted her out.

The change in Clara was startling.

"You mean I can't be his friend? Why doesn't he like me?" Clara's breathing rapidly increased. "Mom?" she let out an acute whimper that instantly put all the wolves on edge.

If Talia hadn't already been sure that her daughter had met her mate, this would have solidified it. Sitting at her table was no longer her seven year old, but Clara's underdeveloped wolf. Sending a fierce look at Cora, Talia's alpha came forward. Talia's eyes glowed red as she came around the table and knelt before Clara.

"Clara, everything will be okay. There's no need to panic, pup. Isaac just doesn't know you yet. I'm sure you two will be great friends soon enough."

There were a few more whines, but, eventually, the wolf receded. Clara pitched forward in her chair and into the waiting arms of her mother. Talia held her tightly, fearful of the exhaustion that had descended on Clara after her wolf had taken over. "Lance, I'm taking her into town."

Lance nodded, knowing 'into town' was a cover for Talia taking her to see Alan. As the pair passed them, Lance dropped a kiss to the crown of his sleeping daughter. "Be careful," Lance said, all too aware of the hunters that had entered the territory last full moon.

"Take care of the children," Talia responded.

When they got the the small veterinarian clinic in the middle of town, Talia lifted Clara from the back seat and hurried her inside.

"Alan?" Talia called.

"Talia? Is something wrong?" the doctor inquired as he came out of the back room. He stopped short when he saw Clara. "Bring her this way," he instructed, opening the mountain ash gate.

Talia carried her around the front desk and into the examination room.

"What happened?" Deaton asked as Talia laid her on the table. He immediately brought out a stethoscope to check her heart beat.

"Her wolf came out."

Deaton looked up, surprised. "Her wolf?"

"We think she found her mate, but that's impossible, isn't it? She shouldn't have been able to identify him as her mate until she shifted for the first time."

Satisfied with her steady heartbeat, Deaton straightened up. "Not necessarily. If her mate was in distress or immediate danger, it could trigger her wolf to prematurely attempt to lay claim." Deaton switched topics to his diagnosis, "If her wolf emerged, then she's probably exhausted. When a born wolf first begins to shift, it is stronger than the human. That's why children have a hard time controlling it. Her wolf hasn't matured yet and therefore would have had to have had used excessive amounts of Clara's energy to sustain any form of shift, even a nonphysical kind. Clara will be fine after she recovers some rest."

Talia began to relax, but then realized something. "Immediate danger? Clara said she met him at school."

"Did she mention anything else? Intense emotional distress could also cause the bond to flare."

Talia thought back to her words. "Clara said he was sad and that he wasn't nice to her."

"If something had upset him, it could be possible she was sensing that. A common defense mechanism in children is anger. That could be why he was rude or even hostile towards her. Usually it would send other kids running the opposite direction, but if her wolf had taken over, it would have been focused on alleviating that stress. How he was treating her wouldn't have mattered."

"Is that dangerous?" Talia asked, worried if her daughter had found a mate who would treat her poorly.

"Not necessarily. Like I said, the anger is most likely a way of coping with something else happening in his life. Her wolf wouldn't have chosen him if they weren't compatible."

"What could have happened?"

"Anything really. We won't know for sure unless we can talk to the boy, or his family. Do you have a name?"

"A first name. Isaac."

Deaton thought for a moment. "Isaac Lahey?"

"Do you know him?" Talia asked.

"They have a golden retriever. He's an old dog, but they treat him well. Mrs. Lahey just died from cancer a little over three weeks ago. It would make sense, if this is your daughter's mate, that he would be extremely distressed. He's probably just returning to school."

"That poor thing," Talia sighed, looking at her daughter. "I hope he's alright."

Deaton smiled calmly, "I'm sure with Clara looking after him, he'll soon recover."


	2. My Angel

**2004**

Third grade had finally done it. Clara and Isaac were assigned to the same class, and Clara couldn't be more excited. Of course, Cora was there too, and, as always, they were as close as sisters could be. But more and more Clara was leaving Cora's side in favor of Isaac's in the classroom. She had already done that at recess. Since the day Clara had found Isaac under the slide, Clara was searching for him everyday on the playground. Clara thought he got sick a lot, but what did she know, she had never gotten sick in her life. And no one else seemed to notice.

Clara had thought about it a lot, and had come to the conclusion maybe he was always sick, and maybe it just picked up every once in a while. Sometimes he still smelled like blood, but he was never hurt so she didn't know why. It might have something to do with the graveyard, she thought.

Isaac had given up on not being her friend after a few weeks of her constantly following him around. He had never really had a friend before, but he was sure she was the best kind someone could have. Clara was always inviting him over to play, but she never cared that he always said no. He couldn't. Camden walked him home everyday and they always had to be there to clean the house before dad got off work. It had to be clean.

Clara liked to hold his hand. He liked it too. It reminded him of how his mother used to always hold them. Sometimes Camden would hug him, but not so much anymore. This one time, one of the other boys had made fun of him for it, and Cora had punched him. Right in the face. He never really talked to Cora, but now he always smiled at her too when he walked up to Clara.

Clara always seemed to know when Isaac needed something. Like today, Isaac had walked into the classroom after being gone for three days with his backpack hanging off of one shoulder. The other shoulder was sore from when he had fallen down the stairs that weekend. Mrs. Booth had told the class to take out their math workbooks and the panic had started. He had left it at home, for the fourth time this year. Mrs. Booth had said that the next time he forgot it, she would have to call his dad. Isaac was freaking out, she couldn't call his dad. She couldn't!

He felt a hand touch his shoulder and he jumped, squeezing his eyes shut and bracing for the pain.

"Isaac?" her voice broke through his fear like an angel. He opened his eyes to find her looking at him with a reassuring gaze. She smiled when he looked back at her and then moved back across the aisle and up a few desks to her seat.

Clara heard his heartbeat settling back down as she sat in her chair. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced back and saw the moment he realized what she had done. The look of adoration and thanks in his eyes made her own heart jump. She loved him. She didn't care if Cora and Derek said she was too young. She was going to marry the boy with the curly hair and pretty blue eyes one day. And although she hadn't felt it since that first day, she knew her wolf was in agreement too.

Clara raised her hand and waited for Mrs. Booth to finish talking with Danny. Danny was one of Cora's friends, and the only one that she really liked. She smiled at the note clutched in his left hand as he asked their teacher a question on the fractions they were learning. When Clara had noticed Isaac rustling through his bag, she knew it was going to be one of those days. The days where everything that possibly could go wrong for him, would. She had written a note asking Danny to distract Mrs. Booth and thrown it at his head. Danny hadn't even questioned it and had immediately called out their teacher's name.

Mrs. Booth finished helping Danny and then looked around the room. "Yes, Clara?"

"Mrs. B, I forgot my book at home, can I share with Cora?"

Her teacher smiled lightly, "Of course you can, just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Yes, ma'am," Clara said, scooting her chair closer to her sister's desk.

Cora smirked at her, "I seem to remember Mom reminding you to put it in your bag this morning."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Clara said, not so subtlety glancing at Isaac from the corner of her eyes.

"Did anyone else forget their book?" Mrs. Booth asked, looking over the class. Clara didn't fail to notice how her gaze seemed to linger over Isaac a moment longer, checking to see if he had his book. When she saw that he was already starting the problems, she smiled. She had not wanted to have to call the boy's parents, especially not after him being sick these last few days.

After Mrs. Booth had settled back at her desk, Isaac chanced looking up. His eyes found Clara's back. That's what she was, Isaac thought. An angel, and one day, when he was all grown up, he would leave, and they would go to college or something. And he would follow her forever.


	3. Sidelines

**2007**

"It's here, Isaac! It's finally here!" Clara yelled, running up to him at the bike rack. His brother had graduated a year ago and had spent his grad money on a bike for Isaac, teeling Isaac he didn't need the money once he enlisted. Despite his brother leaving, the start of middle school was going great.

Isaac laughed at her excitement, "What? The social studies exam? I know, I was up all last night trying to remember all the stupid vocab."

"Oh!" Clara exclaimed. "Do you want my flashcards?"

Isaac nodded and Clara was quick to grab them out of her backpack's side pocket. "So the fam's all coming, right?" Isaac asked, showing he did remember the reason for her excitement.

"Yes! Aunt Penny just got in with my cousins, Josh, and Trev, and little Kathy. I hadn't met her yet, and she's just so small and cute! Oh, Isaac, you just have to come meet her! She'd adore you."

Isaac knew that the continued invitations were just a way to include him in her life, not something she said hoping he would come. She had accepted long ago that he was never going to officially meet all her family. He'd met her parents once or twice, at school events he was required to go to, and he heard all about them. Sometimes he allowed himself to wonder what being that close to your family would feel like. It didn't matter, Isaac told himself. He would meet them someday. And until then, her efforts always left him warm and pleased inside.

They entered the busy school and turned the corner to his locker hall. As he unloaded his backpack, he balanced it precariously on a raised knee resting against the below locker, and then used his left hand to place his books in.

"My cousin, Falen, is getting here tomorrow with her little one and her husband. I'm so excited to have a girl other than my sisters to talk to. I mean, Laura's great and all, but she just doesn't care that much, you know? And of course Cora is my heart, but we're just so different. Especially this year, we've just kinda grown apart. She's all 'boys are so cute,' and 'did you see that boy that just walked by,' and 'oh my gosh, did you see the way that boy looked at me?' Its exhausting."

Isaac smiled and ducked under his long bangs. "And you're not like that? You don't," he cleared his throat, "like boys yet?"

Clara watched as he did that cute corner eye look from beneath his hair. Of course I don't like boys, she wanted to say. How could she even think of another when he looked at her like that.

"Hey, Clara," someone called, saving her from humiliating herself. She looked over and saw Danny waving as he walked by.

She smiled in response but looked back at Isaac. He was no longer looking at her with his beautiful blue eyes, no. Now he was focused on zipping up his backpack in some odd fashion where he only used one hand. Apparently that was more fascinating than her almost confession. Not that he knew she was about to confess her feelings for him, because that had obviously just been a casual remark. Perhaps even a tease. It was not an invitation for her to pour her heart out for him, she was being fanstisful again.

The familiar scent of pack and family leaked into her senses, comforting her before her heart could completely break. "You okay?" her sister appeared at her side. They were coming into their shift within the next year or too, so their senses were growing stronger. Clara was sure her sister could smell her self-depreciation.

"I'm fine, Cor. Isaac and I were just talking about this weekend," Clara nodded her head in her best friends direction, warning Cora with her pointed words to say hello.

"Sup, Isaac," Cora greeted belatedly, but not too noticeable.

It didn't fool Isaac though. He had never been someone Cora went out of her way to say hello to, but she was alway civil. And not even just for Clara's sake, because Isaac could think of multiple times that Cora did something for him without Clara's presence or knowledge. Cora had an image to keep, if she wanted to stay in the in crowd, and that was fine with him. She kept them off his back, and he let her keep the illusion that she only put up with him for the sake of Clara. It worked out for both of them. "Cora," Isaac nodded.

"You sure you're okay?" Cora asked her sister.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks though."

Isaac, however, was now not okay, but concerned. "Is something wrong?" he asked as Cora walked away.

Clara looked up at him with a smile but something in her eyes tugged at him. "Just a faulty receiver," Clara teased, referencing their supposed twinepathy.

Isaac rolled his eyes, "Study at lunch?"

"Of course, you need to go over the cards. Maybe next section you can come over and help me make them-" she was cut off by the warning bell. "We're going to be late! I have to finish my last math problem!"

Clara took off in the direction of the Math hall, not bothering to say goodbye to Isaac, knowing he'd be waiting for her at their table after fourth period.

"Some other day, Angel, I promise," he whispered as he watched her run off to class, referencing her invitation.

Clara smiled at his name for her that he thought she didn't know. She wouldn't have known it if it weren't for her werewolf senses. He called her it often enough when he thought she couldn't hear him, and it made her burst with happiness. Next year, as seventh graders, they will be able to go to the valentines day dance, and she hoped beyond hope that he would finally ask her. Maybe then she could hear him call her Angel and not have to hide her smile. Or maybe she could even kiss him for it. Sometimes she spent hours thinking about what their first kiss will be like.

The rest of the day passed by uneventful except for the growing unease that accompanied the approach of the full moon. It was tomorrow night, and not just any full moon. It was the first blood moon to happen on the wolf moon in over forty years. Her parents had a whole festivus planned for it. But tonight was a quiet night. They were going to stay in, play games, and tell the pack history. It was going to be amazing.

Not two hours later, the mountain ash barrier was set, and sealed the fate of the Hale family.


	4. All His Fault

**2010**

Isaac watched the time tick off the clock with void eyes. Wishing the hand would move quicker but also wishing it would stop altogether. Eighth grade was hell. Home was hell. His job at the cemetery was hell.

And now, Camden was never coming back.

His father's temper had worsened, if that was even possible. There were no more good days like there had been when Camden was home. Every night Isaac watched in fear as a new bottle was emptied, and wondered what was waiting for him at the bottom.

Last week. . . last week his father had tried something new. He, he couldn't, he meant, he _couldn't_. He couldn't even think. . . Isaac forced himself to take a deep breath.

Closing his eyes, he remembered _her_. Beautiful, kind-hearted Clara. No matter how many days passed, he still felt her presence around him. Like she was haunting him. Only it wasn't in the same way other things followed him beneath his eyelids, it was more like, whenever he heard something funny or if he walked by her old locker. She was always, just, there.

Isaac shook his head, mumbling to himself to snap out of it.

Isaac knew why she died. He knew why Camden had chosen active duty over community college. He knew why his mom got sick. There was something wrong with him, something that made others get hurt.

That was the reason Isaac's dad treated him the way he did. Because his dad knew too. If his dad loved him, then he would be in danger. That's what his father said. It's Isaac's fault. It's all his fault.

The freezer kept him contained, so he couldn't hurt his father like he had hurt Clara. The freezer was because Isaac deserved it. Because there was something evil inside him, just like his dad said last month when he had read that letter. It was Isaac's fault that Camden joined the army, because Camden saw the evil too.

Houses don't just burn down, his father had said once. No one dies in house fires anymore.

It was his fault. Isaac didn't know how, but it had to be. Loving him was a disease. He was glad his father wasn't infected.

Most of all, he didn't deserve to think of Clara. He didn't deserve those memories. But the more he resolved to stop, the more frequently they came, and he hated himself a little more for it every time. It had been years since Isaac had fought back against his father, two years to be exact. After all, it was his fault.


	5. The Start of a Pack

**2012**

Isaac slammed him locker shut. It had been all over the news this fall. Their name taken and dragged through the mud. Apparently, not only did Clara's older sister die, but then Derek was a suspect in the disappearance of their janitor and some kidnapping and harassment incident last month. That didn't make any sense. From what he could remember of Derek, he could never do something like that.

And now, the woman responsible for the fire had been found after six years. The police didn't have a motive, they said they may never know the truth. Why would someone want to burn an entire family alive? Everyone around town said that she was a psychopath, maybe even a serial killer. Whatever she was, Isaac was glad she was gone. A dead serial killer never has a trail. They're just guilty. After a while, this will all blow over, and Isaac can go back to ignoring everything to do with what happened all those years ago.

The funeral for the murderer was tomorrow. Her niece or something went to this school. Allison Argent, the new girl who had already seated herself right hand of Beacon High's queen bee. She was dating Scott, their team captain. She seemed nice enough, but Isaac didn't think he could ever get over her connection to the fire. In his mind, she would always be her aunt's niece. The niece of the woman who took the last good thing in his life, and burned it to ashes.

His father had him working late tonight. He had to dig Argent's grave. It was ironic in the darkest possible way.

The sun was long gone as Isaac approached regulation depth for the grave. He still had homework to do that night. Chemistry homework to be exact. His grade was slipping because he never had time to study, but he couldn't let his father know. Anything less than an A was unsatisfactory. B's were cause for constant reminders of his failure and inability to do anything right. A C though, Isaac shuddered to think of what would happen if his father found out. He had to get it up.

A rustling in the bushes caught Isaac's attention. A dark shadow zipped between the graves. Isaac felt goosebumps erupt over his skin. He squinted through the darkness, trying to watch for the shape. It was fast, too fast to be natural.

Suddenly, the excavator Isaac was working on flipped. The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back, struggling for air and looking up from the bottom of the grave. Isaac coughed, feeling the pain in his lungs start to lessen.

Derek chased the scent trail of the omega through the forest towards town. He was panicked and hungry if the chemosignals were to be believed. Derek was worried about why the wolf had come. It wasn't uncommon for omegas to seek out new alphas to steal their power. A pack was even more essential now. He needed to move forward with his plans. If only Scott would come to his senses.

The trail led him to a graveyard. He was gaining on him, he could tell, the scent was getting thicker, stronger. A loud crash came from the otherside of the cemetery, and the sound of a soft body hitting the ground followed. If the wolf planned on killing the victim, Derek would intervene. He pushed faster and within a few seconds, he was next to a small piece of machinery. It was laying on its side over the top of a freshly dug grave.

Derek looked down into the hole to find the boy he had been considering adding to his pack. Isaac Lahey. He remembered him. The small boy with the curly hair that was always following his sister around. The entire family had known that once Clara had come into her wolf, she would have claimed him. Derek had spent the last week watching what had become of the kid. To say he was furious about what had happened to his sister's mate was an understatement.

"Derek?" Isaac exclaimed. He wasn't sure what was more of a shock, seeing the familiar face or watching him life an excavator.

"Need a hand?"

Isaac grabbed it and was pulled out as if he weighed nothing. He supposed he did in comparison to the machine Derek had just lifted. "How, how did you do that?" Isaac stuttered.

"I can do a lot of things, and I can teach you to do them too."

Isaac thought about what he could do with super strength. "How?"

Derek smirked at the teen and then slowly let the red into his eyes. Isaac jumped back, startled, like Derek had expected. Then he shifted the rest of his face, feeling his skin grow taught as it stretched over new bones and his teeth elongate into his jaw.

Isaac's fearful jump turned into a staggered attempt at backing up as the face of Clara's brother turned feral and monstrous.

"If you want to make sure your father never touches you again," Derek said, still transformed. "Then meet me at this address tomorrow night."

Then Derek disappeared into the night. Literally. In his place, Isaac found a small folded note. He opened it, reading the location of a building in the warehouse district, he thought. Isaac tucked it away and went back to digging. He had to get it done or else his dad would get angry.

It was so easy to slip into the familiar fear of his father that had ruled his life for years. Derek may have had the features of a monster, but Isaac knew the real beast had no defining marks. To everyone else, his father was a great man. He volunteered, coached high school sports, had suffered the losses of his wife to cancer and his son to combat. His dad was a hero for raising Isaac without any help. No one knew the truth.

Except Derek. Somehow.

No more, Isaac resolved. He wouldn't let his father get away with this anymore.

The next morning, when the Sheriff came out to investigate. He asked about the bruises and for a moment, Isaac imagined telling him. But his father was there, looking at him with those eyes, and he knew he couldn't. He fell back on one of his practiced lies. Lacrosse this time. Biking accident next time. His hand went into his jean pocket and he clutched a folded piece of paper. He would go and he would learn. However someone learns to make their eyes glow and their face change. He wouldn't be weak anymore. He would go because that was what Clara would want.

School was uneventful. Like it usually is. Isaac kept to himself and with his head down, no one bothered him. He had learned the year after the fire that without his beautiful angel by his side, he didn't attract enough attention to warrant a bully's hackling. Not that he wouldn't go back. He would take their meager abuse every day for the rest of his life if he could look over at her after, have her smile at him with sad eyes and grab his hand. Maybe she could even brush his hair back like she did those few times, and he could ask he to that stupid Valentines Day dance she was always bringing up.

Sneaking away from the house was easy that night. His dad had started drinking early. He was passed out before Isaac had gotten home from their late practice. As he made his way across town on his bike, he had plenty of time to prepare himself for the worst. Still, werewolves didn't exactly come to mind.

"You're a werewolf?" Isaac asked incredulously.

Derek only kept his stare, as if the question was irrational or something.

"Did Clara know?"

Derek held back the flinch as he heard her name out loud. He knew, obviously, that Isaac would be asking about her, but he didn't know if he was ready for it. Still, he would rather have one person that knew his family, than creating his pack without them. His family used to be his everything, and on some level, he knew the boy felt the same. Clara had meant something to him. If he had been being abused even all those years ago, maybe she was his everything too.

"We were born wolves. Clara and Cora were just beginning their turn when the fire. . ."

Isaac nodded.

"Why me?" Isaac asked.

"Because I need someone I can trust."

"And you trust me? I'm not exactly the most stable person you could choose."

"I don't distrust you." When the boy didn't react to Derek's statement, he continued, "That's actually rare."

"If I said yes, what would happen?"

"We would be pack."

Isaac had a feeling that pack meant a lot more to Derek than he would ever say. Maybe, just maybe, it meant family too.


	6. The Vault

**2013**

Derek dumped the last bag of ice into the tub. He wasn't sure about this, but they had already tried everything Derek could think of. His pack had been missing for months, and Isaac knew, subconsciously, where they were.

"How slow is very slow?" Derek asked.

The doctor shrugged, "Nearly dead."

Scott and Derek jerked their gazes to him, shocked by the blatant disregard for the danger of this method.

Isaac reached down to test the water and immediately yanked his hand back. To their sensitive senses, the water was even more frigid than to a normal human. The only positive was that their body would be able to heal and regenerate heat faster, so they could last longer in the below freezing waters.

"It's safe though, right?" Isaac asked, looking up at the vet.

"Do you want me to answer that honestly?"

"No. No, not really," Isaac said, returning his focus to the tub.

They were momentarily distracted by another episode of Stiles's stupidity, but Derek soon moved back to the issue at hand. "Look, if it feels to risky, you don't have to do this." Derek may want the other two members of his pack found, but not at the cost of losing Isaac. Out of everyone, he was closest to his first beta. They needed each other in a way the others didn't understand.

Isaac looked between Scott and Derek and knew that no matter what happened, they would stop it before it went too far. Sucking in one last breath, he plunged into the water.

Derek and Scott struggled to hold him down as Isaac's body repelled out of the water. Then, suddenly, he stopped fighting. Derek didn't know which was worse.

As Deaton led Isaac through the memories, Derek kept a firm grip on his beta's shoulder. Under the pretense of holding him under, Derek offered him as much support as he could. As Isaac began to panic, the alpha lost his calm as well, trying to get the answers from him as fast as he could so they could pull Isaac out. And then he said those words, and Derek completely let go of the thrashing kid.

They watched as Isaac emerged from the water, celebrating that he knew where they were. It was painfully obvious Isaac couldn't remember everything he had just said. Numb, Derek handed Isaac a towel and turned to look at the opposite wall to brood.

"She's not dead!" Derek turned back to argue.

"Derek, he said, 'there's a dead body. It's Erica.' Doesn't exactly leave much room for interpretation."

"Then who was in the vault with Boyd?"

"Clara," Isaac whispered to himself, too low for the humans to hear.

"Someone else, obviously," Stiles responded, oblivious to how Derek had tensed.

Scott, however, did notice. He cataloged both Isaac's haunted look and Derek's defensive position. "Clara?" Scott said.

Stiles, still ignorant of the situation, repeated the name a third time. "Clara? Did I miss something? Who's Clara?"

Derek's eyes changed as he growled, "Stop saying her name."

Stiles stumbled back at the unexpected show of anger.

"And Cora," Isaac whispered, loud enough for Stiles to hear this time. "They were both there."

"That's impossible," Derek ground through his teeth.

"Hey, Scott," Stiles said, working with the variables in his mind. "Wasn't there a set of twins in our grade when we were younger named Cora and Clara? What are the odds, huh? What was their last name again. . ." he trailed off as he became aware of the two heavy glares directed at him.

"Hale," Scott answered quietly, realizing the reason for the tension.

Everyone looked towards Derek.

"Why would the alpha pack kidnap your dead sisters?" Stiles asked with his usual tact.

"Probably for the same reason they took Erica and Boyd," Scott suggested.

"Woah, woah, woah," Stiles stopped. "What if that's how Erica died? They, like, pit them against each other during the full moon and see which survives? It's like werewolf thunderdome."

"Then we get them out tonight."

"Be smart about this, Derek," Deaton said from across the room. "You can't just go storming in."

"Isaac did."

"Isaac didn't get into the vault, and he was caught. You need a plan."

"We need to come up with a plan to rob a bank vault in less than twenty four hours." That wasn't going to happen, Derek thought.

"Maybe somebody already did," Stiles cut in. He then started to read how the bank was shut down shortly after the vault was broken into.

They went back to Derek's new apartment to plan. Stiles brought the blueprints from the construction of the bank and the official police report of the robbery. As the went over who was going into the vault, a voice came from above Peter on the stairs.

"I'm coming too," Isaac said. He had been listening to the entire conversation from above them and decided he couldn't stay behind. Not when they were going after Clara.

"Isaac, no." Derek responded. "You need to rest. You nearly died today."

"I didn't almost die. I was nearly dead for five minutes. Besides, you're going to need all the help you can get."

"There's a reason Peter isn't going. We don't know what we are walking into and we need everyone at full strength."

"Peter's not going because he's a selfish ass."

"Isaac," Scott tried to think of something to say.

"No," Isaac said as he descended the stairs. "We don't know what shape they are going to be in. Better three of them versus three of us, if it comes down to it."

Derek went to protest again, but Isaac stopped him.

"Derek, it's Clara. I already left her there once. I need to do this," Isaac stressed, knowing it was something deeply rooted in his being.

Derek begrudgingly understood. They were mates, although he was unsure if either of them knew it. He hadn't gone over mating with Isaac because he figured Isaac would never find one. You only have one mate, and Clara was as much his as he was hers.

"Fine, but you go in last."

"Great, that's great," Stiles muttered sarcastically. "Why does Derek's sister mean so much to you anyway? Were you third grade sweethearts or something?" He mocked.

"First grade," Isaac deadpanned, not amused by his humor.

"That's enough," Derek demanded. "Isaac and Clara are mates. Her wolf chose him when they were kids."

"Mates?" Scott asked. He had never heard of them but the moment the word passed his lips, Allison's face flitted through his mind.

"For God's sakes, Derek. You didn't explain what a mate was to them?" Peter called from his perch.

"I've been a little busy," Derek snapped.

Peter scoffed. "A wolf's mate is the deepest bond one of our kind can have. It ties their souls together."

"Werewolves have soulmates?" Stiles gaped.

"This isn't Twilight, you idiot," Derek growled. "It's more than just a flashy excuse for commitment. Mates run deep in pack tradition. The same forces that govern the supernatural guide the mating bond. It's sacred."

"Allison," Scott announced. "Allison is my mate."

Derek nodded, he had recognized it once Scott had stood up to him about his anchor. Not that that made Derek trust her. Or like her.

"But Allison and I aren't together anymore, how can she be . . .?"

"Are you willing to wait for her? Are you putting her happiness over your own?" Derek didn't need to see Scott nod pathetically to know the answer. "Then you're mates. She'll recognize it. Maybe she already does. She broke up with you, but she still stands by you, supports the decisions you make."

"Allison's my mate," Scott repeated, this time with an air of dreaminess.

"Do you have a mate, Derek?" Stiles asked, a little hesitant, although he didn't know why.

"You saw the color of my eyes last year. I don't have a soul to search for one."

"Derek," Peter started, but was silenced when Derek growled. It wasn't anything like they had heard before, it was a real menacing growl full of alpha dominance.

"Enough, lets focus back on our mission."

It didn't escape Peter's notice, though, when Derek's eyes slid over to glance at Stiles.

They left Peter and Stiles in the apartment as the three wolves went to the bank to rescue everyone. They positioned themselves in front of the patched wall, and Derek started to break through. It took him more hits than he would like to admit, but with half a minute, they had a new hole in the vault.

Derek dived in before the last of the debris had fallen, quickly followed by Scott and then, like his alpha had insisted, Isaac entered last.

"Boyd?" Derek called as he identified the large shadowed figure emerging from behind a column.

Boyd growled in response, stalking closer to them.

"Boyd?" Derek repeated. "It's me," Derek held his arm out like he was calming a large animal. "It's Derek."

Boyd continued his approach, not acknowledging Derek's words.

"Stiles, now is not the best time," Scott said and Derek rolled his eyes. Typical.

While Scott and Derek focused on their respective problems, Isaac slowly crept around them. As glad as Isaac was to see his packmate, his attention was more focused on another kind. Moving around the side of the vault, he heard a frantic Stiles exclaiming something about the vault walls, but he pushed it away when two identical forms came into view.

"Derek we have a problem, a really big problem," Scott said.

Isaac watched as one of the twins moved, crossing over to the other side of the vault. He immediately dismissed her in favor of focusing all his attention on the one left behind.

"Clara?" he whispered.

"Isaac? Isaac is that you?" - "Derek, get out," growled a similar voice at the same time.

"Clara." Before he had made the decision, she was in his arms. He was crushing her to him like a lifeline.

Clara was shaking with rage and bloodlust. "Isaac, it's not safe. You have to leave. I'll hurt you," she warned, but she knew that wasn't true. She had spent six years away from him, using the memories of their childhood as an anchor. Now, with the heart of her mate beating in her ears, it was dampening the strongest of the pulls from the moon. At least she thought it was.

The door opened and they all watched as Morell laid down the mountain ash, trapping them inside.

The vault exploded with activity, and before Clara could think, the frenzy of the others and the moonlight from the open door had taken over her mind. With a roar, Clara threw off his arms. The fight that followed was brutal. Clara's brute strength versus a newly mated wolf. Even if Isaac would have chosen to fight offensively, his wolf wouldn't allow it. Where he might have pulled his punches, now he could barely defend himself properly, his wolf only allowing evasive tactics and the lightest contact.

The barrier was broken and someone called the feral wolves' attention. They hesitated only a moment before all three ran for the door. With the last of his strength, Isaas threw himself onto Clara, causing both of them to fall to the floor. There was a commotion above them, Derek was yelling, but Isaac was too tired to pay attention.

Encased in the body above her, Clara did the only thing she could in her haze of violence, she bite down hard on the shoulder of her prey. It whimpered and went limp above her. She was about to finish it off when the scent of the blood drenching her finally registered in her wolf. Mate, her wolf cried, horrified.

He was pulled off of her and then laid on his back on the floor next to her. "No," she whispered, her eyes surveying the damage she had caused. "No!"

"Clara," someone yelled as they grabbed her arms.

She snarled, still very much feeling the effects of the moon. She couldn't recognize anyone through the moon's haze except her mate. Isaac, she mourned internally.

"Clara," the person commanded again.

She fought to get free. Her body being torn in half by her drive to kill and her instincts to protect, weaking her as she had to fight both. Her claws sunk deep into the threat's stomach.

Derek held in the gasp of pain, resorting to picking up his weakened sister. Not seeing any other way out, Derek threw her against the vault door, making sure she hit head first. She crumpled to the floor, unconscious, just as Isaac started to move again.

Seeing his injured mate, Isaac growled, lunging to place himself between her and Derek.

"Easy, easy," Derek commanded. "She'll be fine."

Scott and Derek shared a look. They had to follow the other two before they hurt anyone.

"Isaac," Derek called over to his beta who had taken his sister in his arms again. "Take her home."

Isaac nodded. Gently cupping the side of her face that had a stream of blood running down it. He picked her up carefully, resting her head on his shoulder. It wasn't the reunion he had imagined when he had realized she was alive, but it was more than he had ever hoped for. Starting the long walk back to Derek's apartment, Isaac was thankful that the full moon was giving him the strength to do it.


End file.
